


desert at sunset

by possumdnp



Series: Phanfic Bingo 2019 [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2019, M/M, Vegas Roadtrip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 22:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20786078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/possumdnp/pseuds/possumdnp
Summary: Phil stares out at all of the funky desert plants and rocks and open space. It’s so different than back home, and he’s sort of in love with it all.(or, their post-Vidcon road trip stop at Cholla Cactus Garden)





	desert at sunset

**Author's Note:**

> Written for bingo prompts: writer’s choice (road trip) + Vegas

“I didn’t think the desert would be so big.”

Martyn scoffs. “Phil, you idiot. It’s a desert in America. What’d you expect?”

“For us to be there already.” Phil might be a little tired and a lot carsick at this point.

“Are you feeling all right?” Cornelia says from the front seat.

“I’m fine.” As long as he keeps staring out the window, that is. He really wishes he didn’t feel so nauseous, because he actually really loves the concept of roadtripping with three of his very favourite people. He likes visiting fun places with them and having adventures that he never would’ve otherwise. He likes sitting in the car, listening to his brother, Cornelia, and Dan have passionate conversations about music that Phil doesn’t quite understand. He thinks it’s funny when they fight over what song gets played next.

Right now, they’re quiet, listening to some synthwave song that Cornelia’s put on. Phil’s never heard it before, and it’s honestly not really to his taste, but somehow, it fits the scene of the desert landscape that’s speeding past his car window. He stares out at all of the funky desert plants and rocks and open space. It’s so different than back home, and he’s sort of in love with it all.

He’s very much relieved when Martyn finally pulls over into the car park of the cactus garden and he can step out and have a stretch. The hot, dry air hits him, and it’s a shock after spending so long in a comfortably air conditioned car. But it feels so good to finally be standing and to not be in a moving vehicle anymore.

“How’re you feeling?” Dan says softly from behind him, placing a gentle hand on Phil’s arm.

“Better.” Phil smiles at him. He still feels a little sick to his stomach, but he knows he’ll feel fine once they start walking around.

“Let’s go, lads,” Martyn says, and they start off toward the wooden walkway. It’s surrounded by the most bizzare cacti that Phil thinks he’s ever seen, twisted, gangly things that almost look like fuzzy trees.

“Do you feel as if we’ve crash landed on an alien planet?” Dan says.

“We have.” Phil lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Martyn’s actually an alien. He brought us here to take us to his home planet.”

Dan snorts out an unattractive laugh, and Martyn turns.

“Oi. It’s Phil who’s the alien. Didn’t Mum and Dad tell you? They adopted you from some aliens who couldn’t put up with you any longer.”

_“Hey.”_ Phil punches lightly at his brother’s arm. Martyn just laughs and heads off down the walkway with Cornelia.

Dan stops to take some photos of the cacti. They’ve brought their good camera for this trip, the one they use to take nice photos just for them.

“It’s weird as fuck, but it really is beautiful,” Dan says. He lowers the camera. “Look how far you can see.”

They stand together for a long time, just staring out at the desert. It’s quiet and vast, and Phil feels small, like they really are somewhere else entirely.

“Can I have the camera?” Phil asks, and Dan hands it over. “Turn. Look artsy.”

“I always look artsy, Phil,” says Dan, turning so he’s facing away.

Phil wishes he could stand further back to get more of the scenery in the shot, to be artistic and make Dan’s tall figure look tiny amongst the hills. But the walkway is narrow, and Dan’s pretty, so it’s not like it’s a hardship to take several close-up photos of him staring out into the desert.

It’s almost sunset, and the sky is starting to turn pink, giving the land around them a distinct warm glow. It’s good lighting. It makes Dan’s eyelashes look long and dark, and his face look softer. Or maybe that softness is from how happy Dan’s been lately. Life’s been good the past month.

Phil takes a few more photos and then lowers the camera. “Okay.”

“Get something good?”

Phil nods. He looks down the wooden walkway; Martyn and Cornelia have gotten far ahead of them. They look to be in their own little world too, and Phil isn’t particularly fussed if they all four stick together.

“Want to keep walking?” Dan says, and Phil nods again. They move slowly forward, simply enjoying being in nature. They’d all taken a longer, more strenuous hike earlier in the day, so it’s nice to walk at a leisurely pace here.

“One day, I’m gonna come back here and make a film here, I think,” Phil muses.

“About a family with an alien brother?”

“Shut up,” Phil says, laughing. “But maybe. It could make an interesting story.”

“Dalien: The Movie?”

“Shhh. No work talk on this road trip, remember?” He doesn’t know if Dalien really counts as work talk, since The Sims hasn’t been on their workload plate for half a year now. Still. Now is holiday time, not work time.

There’s an informational signpost on the left side of the walkway, and Dan stops to read it. Phil stops too, and reads over his shoulder. “These cacti are called teddybear cholla,” Dan reads. “This garden is one of the largest groupings of them in this valley, apparently.”

“I can see why they’re called that,” Phil says. “They look fuzzy in this light. I want to pet them.”

“Please don’t touch them. I really don’t want to take you to the hospital today.”

Phil laughs, and starts moving down the walkway again. “I think I can control myself. Somehow.”

“How old do you think these cacti are?” Dan says. "The sign didn't say."

“They’re immortal.” He gives Dan a cheeky grin, and Dan just gives him look. “Maybe we should move to the desert. Then my cacti will never die.”

“I don’t think being in a desert makes a cactus fucking _immortal,_ Phil.”

“It does. And then you can break it open and drink the water inside and become immortal. Just like unicorn blood.”

“Okay, bud. You have fun with your immortality garden. I’ll be back in London, not melting from the heat.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” They’ve caught up to Martyn and Cornelia, who are giving them bemused looks.

“Just Phil’s next business venture,” Dan says.

“I thought no work talk allowed,” Martyn says. “You nearly had my head earlier today for daring to talk about merch.”

“It’s _important,”_ Phil says stubbornly. “Vidcon was work. But this road trip is a proper family holiday.”

It is. This is his family right here, and he’ll be damned if they waste any time talking about business stuff when they could be having fun adventures instead. Maybe in the past, he wouldn’t have drawn the lines so clearly. It’s hard, because his boyfriend and brother are also his business partners, and Phil is the sort who’s always coming up with new ideas to share with them. But he’s really trying to balance his life more this year, and strictly labeling these few days as _holiday_ seems like a good way to start.

“I guess we’re already at the end of the walkway,” Cornelia says, and Phil’s surprised when he glances forward and sees that she’s right. He knew this cactus garden was just a small pathway and not a proper hike, but he’s a bit disappointed they have to go back to the car now.

“Back to our place then?” Martyn says. “The sun’s almost set. We could pick up some takeaway on our way back.”

“Mexican food?” Phil says hopefully, because that’s one thing he really loves about being in America.

“That sounds amazing,” groans Dan, and they all load into the car.

Phil stares out of the window as the cactus garden disappears from view. He feels so peaceful right now. Today has been quiet walks in nature, big skies, and delighting in finding lizards among the rocks, all with the people he loves most in the world. Maybe he and Dan need to get into nature more than they do. It’s good for the soul.

But he also knows he’ll love it just as much when they head to Vegas in a few days. It’ll be the opposite of peaceful: loud, filled with flashing lights and bright colours. He needs that to spark his imagination too, he thinks. Vegas has always felt surreal to him, but in a completely different way to how he feels standing in the desert.

For now though, he pulls his attention back to the current moment. He enjoys the last of the sunset, thinks of the delicious meal they’re about to have, listens to the song that Martyn’s chosen to listen to.

It’s been a good day.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Reblog on tumblr [here!](https://possumdnp.tumblr.com/post/187969724155/desert-at-sunset)


End file.
